Python Included In ArcGIS 9

Party_Pack writes "ESRI, the makers of the GIS (Geographic Information System) Arc/INFO (as well as ArcView) and its more modern COM based successor ArcGIS are once again, in the just released ArcGIS 9, giving their users the choice of a fully featured scripting language rather than just the hideously complex ArcObjects/full programming language model they currently offer. Interestingly they have chosen to move away from their tradition of proprietary languages such as AML and Avenue and use Python. This is great news for both ArcGIS users and the Python community, as ESRI will hopefully feed any development work back into the community."

Comments

Not only Python

[Bazouel]

Any scripting language that supports COM can be used with ArcGIS 9. For example, Perl is also supported.

Experience shows otherwise

[shachart]

From my experience of programming against ESRI, I seriously doubt the company will contribute anything back to the community. For instance, in a project I once worked on, we developed custom renderers (i.e. custom icons to be displayed on maps etc.), and back then it was pretty much unsupported. The only way we could get support for this was to contribute our custom renderer to ESRI. Did we get any real support from them? no. But our framwork eventually became ArcGIS version 6's renderer hierarchy templates.

They have a reputation for not contributing anything back. User, beware.

Re:Experience shows otherwise

[SuperDuh]

I agree. I've been doing programming w/ ESRI software in some way or another for 6 years now, and if its taught me anything, its that ESRI surrounds itself with a barrier: No input from the community, no source going out, and definately no help with (let alone acknowledgement of) any bugs/issues with their software. They're a heavily proprietary sw company w/ a tendancy to ignore standards they didn't create (think a GIS equivalent of MS). Don't expect anything back from them.
I'm done venting now. :)

Trying to predict the next 2 years...

[dotz]

Being regular Python user/fan, each news, which features Python makes me happy. How do you think, will Python become more and more popular in the next years? I think so.

• web development: Not only Zope and Plone, there's a lot of interesting development going on with Twisted... and, well, Twisted is not only about the web, it is about networking in general;
• .NET / Java development in general: Python in Java exists already... Java gaining more and more popularity? No problem, Python is already there. .NET/Mono taking the market away from Java? The industry will perhaps support more and more .NET techniques - with IronPython (featured recently on /.), Python is already there. No problem;
• some people might wonder if you really need that stinkin' .NET/Java stuff at all - Python is already very portable, but that's not everything - it already supports a wide range of MacOS/Unix/win32-specific functionalities.
• anything else makes you wonder, if Python is a good choice at all? What about realtime applications, like a VOIP phone (GUI included, win32/unix compatible) in Python? Do you read "interpreted" as "slow", do you wonder if Python is good enough to be useful in CPU-demanding programs like games? Anything else against it? Perhaps you're worried about Python's extensibility?
• if software telephony sucks for you, perhaps you should try a real mobile phone

Is there anything you would like to add to the list? Do you also think 2005/2006 will be the years of Python hype? Having a small part of good things about Python, I'd really like to hear, where does it suck for you. There are many, many things I don't know about it... ;)